A time clock that works for your business can save time and money. We cover the best modern time clock software on the market, outlining the pros and cons of each.
Time clocks, used for schedule tracking, payroll, and recordkeeping, are not perfect systems. Business owners can become victims of time theft from buddy punching and misreporting hours. These forms of time theft cost your company money and can be difficult to solve.
Modern time clocks using cloud-based technology are less prone to human error and deliberate misuse, helping you keep more accurate records and letting you pay your workers fairly. They are great for helping your remote employees track their time. Furthermore, if your company does large volumes of client work, a modern time clock can help you accurately track billable hours to set realistic project budgets and create better invoices.
In this article, we look at the six best modern time clocks on the market today. Keep reading to compare.
If you don’t have the time to read through our research, jump down to our quick comparison table.
Our Top Picks
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Best all-in-one modern time clock software
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Good for gaining insights into the workday
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Good for tracking billable hours
How to Choose Modern Time Clock Software
When you’re making the leap from older time clocks to cloud-based time trackers, look for these features.
- Automated time tracking: Connecteam offers automated time tracking to save your employees time spent punching in and protect you from time theft
- Solutions for your business needs: Look for features specific to your industry like the ability to track employee hours by project
- Ease of use: Find time clock software that your employees can adopt without intense training
- Cost: Find a solution that doesn’t charge per subscriber so it’s scalable as your business grows
The 6 Best Modern Time Clock Softwares of 2023
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Connecteam — Best all-in-one modern time clock software
Connecteam’s modern time clock offers solutions for businesses of all sizes. You can manage the system on the go with a mobile app on your smartphone, tablet, or laptop. The platform is intuitive and easy to customize to your unique business time needs.
Connecteam’s time clock gives you a live view of who has clocked in and out, so you don’t have to spend time on payroll errors and misunderstandings. You can use it to track your employees in real time, down to the second.
Your company can benefit from this time clock software in many ways.
Real time tracking
In-office and remote workers can track their exact time down to the second. If you’re in a professional services field like accounting, law, architecture, consulting, or another field, you can track an employee’s work on each project for more accurate billing.
Dashboards with customer service insights
With Connecteam’s easy-to-read dashboards, you can see how long each employee spends on a project, letting you create better project schedules and cost estimates for future clients. You can also track which clients are taking up more time, letting you set better schedules and prioritizing your team’s tasks.
Geostamps track employees in the field
Industry-specific features like geo stamps help you track employees who are working in the field. You can see where they are when they are clocking into and out of job sites. This helps eliminate buddy punching and other methods of time theft.
Automated payroll tracking
Connecteam software integrates with most payroll systems, saving you and your payroll team the time and hassle of manually entering each employee’s hours.
Friendly reminders for your employees
Connecteam offers automated clock-in reminders so your team will always remember to start tracking their time at the start of each shift.
Better communication between you and your team
Your team members can use the app to send overtime requests and get approvals when they need one instead of waiting for an email response. You’ll also have a record of overtime approvals in one location, allowing you to track busy times of the year in which you may need additional staff.
Easy reports and data
Timesheets are easy to export, allowing your management team to create reports and analyze data for improved decision-making.
Tools you can use for easy communication
The Connecteam system also offers tools you can use to communicate with your employees. They can take advantage of the in-app chat feature to request time off or ask for help if they need it. In addition, employee scheduling features help you manage shift overlaps, time-off requests, and more.
With this tool, you can attach files to each employee, including notes, absences, photos, checklists, and more. Use it to aid in scheduling and performance reviews.
Customer service to meet your needs
Connecteam’s customer service is top-notch. Account managers are very responsive and attentive. They are also willing to take suggestions on improving the app and its features. Your suggestion may not make it into the next generation, but the customer service team will work with you to find a solution that meets your needs.
Starting at $29 a month for the first 30 users, Connecteam is very affordable. If you’re not sure the features are for you, sign up for the free 14-day trial.
Pros
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Offers a paperless system for tracking time
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Easy to setup and launch
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User-friendly interface
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Free plan available for smaller businesses
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Excellent customer support team
Pricing
Starts at just $29/month for the first 30 users
Free 14-day trial
Free plan available -
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Time Doctor — Good for gaining insights into the workday
Available on
- Web
- iOS
- Android
- Windows
- Mac
Time Doctor is a time-tracking platform offering online timesheets and payroll. This platform integrates with multiple others, including Paypal and Payoneer. Managers use it to track hours for salary and hourly employees. This platform offers the ability to see which apps employees aren’t using for potential savings.
This app does have a bit more monitoring power, as it can track when your employees are idle or monitor keystrokes. This platform is easy to set up and use. Unfortunately, sometimes the app malfunctions after it’s updated. Additionally, idle time may not be accurate because it can’t tell if an employee is on a work call or doing client work offline, like attending a meeting.
Key Features
- Remote time tracking
- Productivity summaries
- Screen shots and recording
- Offline time tracking
Pros
- Helps make employees more productive
- Customizable
Cons
- Sometimes glitchy
- Might lower employee morale with the level of tracking
Pricing
Starts at $7/user/month
Trial: Yes — 14-day
Free Plan: No -
Timecamp — Good for tracking billable hours
With the ability to track time automatically or manually, TimeCamp is a great option for tracking billable hours. This software also lets businesses set up projects and employees with customized billing rates.
This platform integrates with a variety of project management software to sync project schedules and employee time. Project managers and department heads can approve each timesheet for more accurate payroll. They can also leave comments and feedback on each timesheet. However, TimeCamp is a pricier option than some others, starting at $7.99 per user per month.
Key Features
- Multiple integrations with project management software
- Regular timesheet approvals
- Ability to lock timesheets
- Collaboration tools
Pros
- Makes it easy to track employee efficiency
- Easy to use
Cons
- Pricey
- Difficult to update time if an employee forgets to turn off the clock
Pricing
Starts at $6.3/user/month
Trial: Yes — 14-day
Free Plan: Yes -
Clockify — Best for project planning and scheduling
Available on
- Web
- iOS
- Android
- Windows
- Mac
A great platform for tracking time per task or per project, Clockify is a solution for both tracking time and prioritizing work. This tool is simple to set up projects or tasks and track hours spent on each one.
Its reports make it easy to identify which tasks are taking the longest. These insights can clue a manager in on where their team may need help or where they may need to refine processes. If all employees are consistently spending too much time on one task, the team might brainstorm how to streamline it.
Clockify does not have an in-app chatting system, so any questions or concerns from employees have to go through traditional methods.
Key Features
- Chrome and MS Edge Integration
- Easy to use reports and dashboards
- Good customer service
- Color coding to easily track tasks and projects
Pros
- Easy to set up and use
- Good value for the price
Cons
- Can be difficult to edit time if you forget to stop the clock
- Doesn’t work consistently on all platforms
Pricing
Starts at $3.99/user/month
Trial: Yes — 7-day, for PRO features
Free Plan: Yes -
Tick — Good for freelancers
Tick is a time management platform with options to track time by project or by budget. With it, users can set time limits at the top of each project, which makes the clock count down instead of up. This tool helps employees benchmark their work against the budget to keep them from going over. They can use it to see if there are specific tasks that break the budget consistently.
Nonetheless, Tick’s time-tracking feature isn’t always easy to use, and the interface has changed with different software updates.
Key Features
- Integrates with many different platforms
- Easily set budgets for projects
- Ability to communicate and share feedback
- Reporting tools for project management insights
Pros
- Offers multiple tools for freelancers to keep projects on time and under budget
- Syncs between the mobile and desktop apps
Cons
- Hard to use in places with bad internet connection
- Not easy to classify all project tasks
Pricing
Starts at $19/month, for more than 1 project (up to 10)
Trial: Yes — 30-day
Free Plan: Yes — For a single project -
Jibble — Good for time and attendance tracking
Available on
- Web
- iOS
- Android
- Windows
- Mac
For everyday attendance and time tracking, Jibble offers a mobile time clock. This software works with facial recognition to make clocking in and out more secure and helps eliminate buddy punching. Employers can set up automated clock-in reminders so employees won’t forget to clock in when they start their shifts.
Employees can see their schedules in the app, and they can track their breaks and overtime hours. Managers can access employee time sheets in one place, making it easier to monitor productivity and manage schedules. Because this software works on mobile devices and computers, employees can clock in as soon as they reach the office or from their desks if they forgot to do it when they came in.
While Jibble has an FAQ, it does not have the same readily available customer service system as some others, so any problems that come up may take time to fix.
Key Features
- Facial recognition
- Schedule requests
- GPS tracking
- Payroll hours tracking
Pros
- Easy to set up and use
- Offers features for multiple industries
Cons
- Not as flexible as other software
- Customer service team has to fix clock-in errors due to software outages
Pricing
Starts at $1.99/month + $1.99/user
Trial: No
Free Plan: Yes
The 6 Best Modern Time Clock Software of 2023
What Is a Modern Time Clock?
A time clock is any tool you can use to track employee work hours. Traditionally, these devices were onsite, and employees had to punch in on a device that was connected to human resources software. Most modern time clocks are cloud-based, allowing employees to clock in with their phones or computers. Many of these platforms also offer internet extensions letting workers access them directly from a browser instead of navigating to the website.
Managers and HR teams can access timesheets, chats, and other features from their phones or computers, letting them process payroll remotely.
How Does a Modern Timeclock Work?
Most modern time clock software offers features that allow employees to press a button and track their time. On some platforms, you can set up different tasks or projects, and the employee can start or stop their time depending on what they’re doing.
Data is recorded within the software, and managers or members of HR can view reports, print timesheets, and add comments. Mobile-based systems use GPS or location data to enable location-based clock-ins. With these platforms, your workers can’t clock in until they reach the job.
The Benefits of a Modern Time Clock
Offers a Solution for Time Theft
Solutions for buddy punching and other methods of time theft is one of the biggest benefits of a modern time clock. Because employees have to use their own mobile device or location to clock in, they can’t ask their friends to do it for them.
Provides Data for Better Project Management
Time clock software also gives you better insights into managing your projects and budgets. You can see how much time people spend on each project to the second instead of relying on written records. These methods cut down on human error and the payroll issues that arise from these mistakes.
Saves Time and Money on Administrative Tasks
Since many modern time clocks integrate with payroll and accounting software, your payroll team doesn’t have to manually enter time. If your employees do have to enter their time into a separate system over the pay period, they are working with accurate data, minimizing payroll errors.
Allows Business Owners to Manage Employees from Anywhere
For small business owners, modern time clock software eliminates the need to be onsite at all times. You can trust that your employees are clocking in at the office or the job site. You can chat with employees and manage schedules without having to be at your desk. These solutions allow everyone to be more productive with their time.
How Much Do Modern Time Clocks Cost?
Most modern time clock software offers free trials and a free version. However, the free versions don’t typically offer robust industry-standard features. Industry standard pricing is around $10 per month per person. If you’re managing a team of 50, you would have to pay $500 a month for the time clock with this model.
Connecteam starts at $29 a month for up to 30 users, which is a significant cost saving for a tool that can help you automate your time tracking. With location-based punching and other features, Connecteam can also help you manage time theft.
FAQs
Does QuickBooks have a time clock system?
Quickbooks does offer a time kiosk, but it comes with limited features, and there is no mobile app available.
Is time-tracking software safe to use?
If you’re concerned about safety, find a platform that offers encrypted servers. During your demo, ask about security and steps the company takes to keep data secure.
Is employee monitoring an invasion of privacy?
Most employee tracking systems are legal, particularly when you’re time tracking. However, some platforms offer features that could be considered more intrusive, like keystroke tracking. These features could open you up to legal issues for invasion of privacy.
The Bottom Line on Modern Time Clock Software
Modern time clock software like Connecteam is a proven alternative to traditional on-site employee time clocks and manual time tracking. Because you can manage employee schedules from your phone and communicate with them in real-time with a chat feature, your team can be more productive.
Use its location-based clock-in and other features to eliminate buddy punching and other methods of time theft for peace of mind and yearly savings. With this solution, you’ll also have a more accurate record of time spent on each project, allowing you to improve budgeting and productivity.
Sign up for a free 14-day-trial today and put these tools to work for you.
